Electric locomotive



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. T. L. WILLSON. ELECTRIC LOCOMOTIVE.

' Patentd Mar. 1, 1892.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS L. WILIQSON, OF BROOKLYN, NEXV YORK.

ELECTRIC LOCOMOTIVE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 469,799, dated March 1, 1892.

Application filed July 3, 1891. Serial No. 398.382. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, THOMAS L. WILLsoN,'a citizen of the United States, residing in Brooklyn,in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Locomotives, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to locomotives for electric railways, designed to simplify the construction thereof, to increase their traction, and in general to render feasible the construction of electric locomotives forpulling heavy trains or for work on steep grades. The invention is also applicable to electric street-cars.

According to my invention I construct a powerful and heavy electromotor and provide friction-Wheels fixed on the opposite ends of its armature-shaft and resting in frictional contact with the driving-wheels of the locomotive. The frame of the motor hangs from its armature-shaft, which shaft, being supported by its friction-wheels resting on the locomotive-drivers, transmits the weight of the electromotor to the drivers, thereby maintaining frictional contact or tractive adhesion between the friction-wheels and the drivers and also between the latter and the rails. By preference two pairs of driving-wheels are used in connection with one motor, the pairs being placed close together with the frictionwheel of the motor resting in contact with the two adjacent driving-wheels, so that it simultaneously drives both. The motor is consequently, as it were, hung or suspended at or slightly above its center of gravity'from its own axis by reason of the position of its friction-wheels in the gaps between the successive pairs of drivers. The drivers are connected together by a suitable framework, which may be made integral or connected to the frame of the motor. The motor is so connected to the driving-wheels or to the frame connecting them or to any other suitable frame-work of the locomotive as to prevent its displacement around its axis by reason of the thrust transmitted to it through the driving-wheels.

Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings is a side elevation of my improved electric locomotive, except that the driving-wheels are removed and their axles and the casing or cab of the locomotive are shown in vertical the driving-wheels of the locomotive, B B their axles, C any suitable frame connecting them which may constitute a part of the electromotor, and M the electromotor as a whole. This motor M is constructed with a field-ma net D and an armature E, fixed on an armature-shaft F, on the opposite ends of which are two f riction-wheels G G, which rest against flanges A on the driving-wheels A Aon opposite sides.

The particular construction of electromotor shown is in general similar to the. construction of dynamo shown in my patent, No. 406,0l5, dated June 25,1889. It particularly resembles the dynamo in that patent in havingits armature constructed to constitute in itself a commutator, the commutator-brushes H H being arranged to bear against the periphery of the armature. To this end the armature is constructed with an annular core covered with a winding of segmental copper bars forming a continuous spiral conductor around the core and insulated from it and from each other. The segmental bars on the exterior of the commutator are uninsulated and are turned down cylindrically to form a commutating-surface, to which the commutator-brushes H H are lightly pressed. These brushes may be very wide and extended nearly the entire length of the armature. This construction of armature-commutator is especially well adapted to an electro motor designed for heavy work, as nospace is required at either end of the armature-for the insertion of a commutator, as in other motors, and the field-magnet may consequently be brought close against the ends of the armature, thereby making the motor very compact and consequently enabling a larger, heavier, and more powerful motor to be mounted in a given space. The space in which a motor can be mounted on an electric locomotive is apt to be limited or determined largely by the gage of the track on which the locomotive is to run.

In the construction shown the field-magnet D consists of a rectangular frame, from the ends of which cores project inwardly, wound with wire to form the field-magnet coils a a, and carrying pole pieces 1) b, partially embracing the armature above and below. The shaft F passes through the rectangular frame of the field-magnet at the middle thereof, and the magnet-frame is there formed with bearings c c for this shaft. The entire weight of the field-magnet is hung from these bearings and transmitted through the shaft to its friction-wheels G G and through them to the driving-wheels A A. As the armature is caused to revolve its rotation is transmitted through the shaft F to the friction-wheels G G and from them to the driving-wheels A A.

By reason of the entire weight of the motor beingtransmit ted through the f riction-wheels to the drivingwheels a strong frictional contact is produced, so that the thrust of thefric tion-wheels is made effective to drive the driving' wheels and consequently to propel the locomotive. Thiselfect is increased-by the arrangement of the f riction-wheel G partially between the two adjacent pairs of drivingwheels,'so that its thrust is transmitted angularly to each and equally distributed between them. The angular thrust of the frictionwheels G G tends topress the pairs of driving-wheelsapart, and to resist this tendency their axles are mounted to turn in boxes d,

. other in longitudinal direction, so that the axesof the driving wheels are kept at the proper distance apart. The hangers e e are connected through the frame 0, before mentioned, which frame in the construction shown consists of the lower portion of the field-magnet frame; but thisis not essential, as a' separate frame might be used for this purpose. By using the field-magnet frame, however, the construction is simplified,since the same frame serves not only the functions of a field-magnet, but also serves to hold the axle boxes at the proper distance apart and to maintain the upright position of the electromotor, thereby resisting any angular reaction due to the thrust exerted by the motor against the driving-wheels. Various other meansof mounting may, however, be applied to accomplishthis purpose, as will be readily apparent to any constructive mechanic.

It is an important advantage of my invention that by the peculiar mounting of the elcctrcmotor its weight is not only utilized to impart traction to the driving-wheels, but the motor tends constantly to maintain a position where this traction will be equally distributed between the wheels. In case, for example, in

wheels or car-wheels.

brushes, those lettered II II being arranged to make contact with the armature in running forward and those lettered H H being used in backing. For governing the speed any means may be provided that are known in the art.

In the drawings I have shownthe car-body 'orcab J mounted'o'n the frames 0 G, which is a convenient construction, especially for a motor having only two-pairs of driving- Wheels, as shown. For locomotives 'for heavier work three, four, or more pairs of wheels may be used, andthey may be mounted and arranged according to any of the various ways employed for mounting locomotive- In any case where it'is desired that the car-body, floor, or cab shall be mounted independently of the motor it may be connected to the wheels in any manner now known for connecting locomotivebodies or car-bodies to their wheels. The m0- tor may be connected to such framing or carbody in any 'suitable manner by which the motor shall be left free to move up or down to accommodate itself to the movements of the driving-wheels, butshall be restrained only against angular displacement due to -the reaction from the thrust it-communicates to the drivers. The structural changes thus suggested are all within the mechanical judgment or discretion of the constructive engineer and may be applied without departing from my'invention. It is desirable to make the mounting of the motor somewhat elastic.

This is preferably accomplished as shown in Figs. 1 to 5. In this construction the drivingfriction-roller G is also provided with a similar metallic tire h and an elastic cushion i between the tire h and the'body of the wheel.

These yielding cushions within the tires constitute an elastic medium for reducing the shocks or vibration of the driving-wheels and thereby easing the motion of the motor M.

This construction is especially desirable for rough roads or highspeeds. In lieu of 'elastic cushions, yielding wheels may. be employed in place of the driving-wheels-Aand friction-wheels G. As such-wheels are well known in the art, I do not deem it necessary to illustrate them. V

Fig. 6 shows a simpleform of myinvention, in which the wheels-G G bear directly on the threads of the driving-wheels A A.

It will be understood that the ends of the motor-shaft F may themselves constitute the wheels GG where it is desired to use a motor of high armature-speed.

] posite friction-wheels on its shaft, said wheels entering partially between and resting on friction wheels or surfaces on the respective advancing and following driving-wheel axles,

the motor constructed and mounted so that its weight is hung from its shaft, so that it serves to press the friction-wheels into tractive contact, and the frame of the motor constructed to engage the bearing-boxes of the driving-axles to maintain them at the proper distance apart and to resist the reactive thrust of the motor.

2. In an electric locomotive, the combination of two pairs of driving-wheels arranged close together, an electromotor having opposite friction-wheels on its shaft, said wheels entering partially between and resting on friction wheels or surfaces on the respective advancing and following driving-wheel axles, and the field magnet of the motor formed with bearings for said shaft and supported by beinghung fromv said shaft through its bearings,

whereby the weight of the field-magnet is utilized to press the respective friction-wheels into tractive contact.

3. In an electric locomotive, the combination of two pairs of driving-wheels arranged close together, an electromotor having opposite friction-wheels on its shaft, said wheels entering partially between and resting on friction wheels or surfaces on the respective advancing and following driving-wheel axles, and the field-magnet of themotor formed with bearings .for said shaft and supported by being hung from said shaft through its bearings, whereby the weight of the field-magnet is utilized to press the respective friction-wheels into tractive contact, and one of the frictionwheels on each side constructed with a yielding cushion, whereby the weight of the motor is elastically upheld.

at. In an electric locomotive, the combination of two pairs of driving-wheels arranged close together, an electromotor having opposite friction-wheels on its shaft, said wheels entering partially between and resting on friction wheels or surfaces on the respective advancing and following driving-wheel axles, the field-magnet of the motor arranged vertically'with its pole-pieces above and below the armature, formed with bearings for said shaft, and supported by being hung from said shaftthrough its bearings, whereby the weight of the field-magnet is utilized to press the respective friction-wheels into tractive contact, and the armature constructed with bared external surfaces on its conducting,

' winding, and commutatorbrushes bearing on said external surfaces in the gaps between the pole-pieces.

5. In an electric locomotive, the combination of two pairs of driving-wheels arranged close together, an electromotor having opposite friction-wheels on its shaft, said wheels entering partially between and resting on friction wheels or surfaces on the respective advancing and following driving-wheel axles, and the field-magnet of the motor formed with bearings for said shaft and supported by being hung from said shaft through its bearings and having supporting-frames attached to it,

and the car-body mounted on and supported by said frames, whereby the weight of the car-body is added to that of the field-magnet and their combined weight is utilized to press the respective friction-wheels into tractive contact.

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

THOMAS L. \VILLSON.

Witnesses:

GEORGE H. FRASER. FRED WHITE. 

